GE to build advanced manufacturing centre near Pittsburgh

General Electric Co. will invest US$32 million in a new additive manufacturing facility in Pittsburgh, Pa., that will help the manufacturer’s business units develop and implement 3-D printing, as well as other innovative technologies.

The Fairfield, Conn.-based company is finalizing details of the specific building location. Construction of the 125,000-square foot building will begin in March 2015, GE said, and is expected to be completed in September.

The company said 50 engineers will be employed at the centre initially.

Additive manufacturing covers a range of technologies including rapid prototyping, advanced materials development and 3-D printing. The 3-D printing field involves making finished or near-finished products from digital images that are fed into a printer that uses metals, plastics and other materials instead of ink. The process eliminates the time and expense of making parts separately and assembling them into the finished product.